1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal cell which is used for liquid crystal display elements and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A liquid crystal display element is composed of a liquid crystal cell which is fabricated by opposing a pair of substrates with oriented films and transparent electrodes provided on the inner surface thereof, interposing a spacer or the like therebetween, if necessary, sealing their peripheral portions by a sealing member, and injecting a particular liquid crystal into the liquid crystal cell, which is sealed thereafter. A voltage is applied between the transparent electrodes which are formed on the pair of substrates so as to vary the orientation of the liquid crystal at that portion, thereby displaying a letter, figure, and any given pattern.
Conventionally, what is called a vacuum injection method is used as a method of injecting a liquid crystal in a liquid crystal cell. This is a method, as shown in FIG. 6, of fabricating a liquid crystal cell by bonding the peripheral portion of a pair of substrates 1 and 2 by a sealing member 3, forming a liquid crystal injection hole 5 by opening a part of the sealing member 3, letting out the air within the cell through the injection hole 5 which is placed in a vacuum atmosphere, dipping the injection hole 5 in a tank 6 of a liquid crystal 7, and thereafter releasing the vacuum state so as to inject the liquid crystal 7 into the interior 4 of the liquid crystal cell from the injection hole 5.
However, in the above-described operation of the liquid crystal injection, the liquid crystal injection time is increased with the increasing area of the liquid cell, so that bubbles are likely to remain in the interior, which leads to decrease in the yield and, hence, increase in manufacturing cost.
Notice has recently been taken of elements using a smectic liquid crystal as liquid crystal display elements which are capable of response at such a high speed as to be used for liquid crystal TVs. Since a smectic liquid crystal has a higher viscosity and a much smaller gap between the upper and lower substrates than a conventional TN type liquid crystal, the aforementioned problems have become more vital than before.